Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
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This Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup is a super quick and simple copycat recipe with rich, creamy flavor you can’t resist!
If you’re like me and can’t get enough soup, then you should definitely give this Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup a try, right before you test out my Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup and Sausage and White Bean Soup.
You may have noticed I have a thing for Olive Garden soups. I know I’m not alone! What’s not to love though? There’s a reason they are so popular — they’re so flavorful and delicious. They seem to have some kind of “secret ingredient” that makes you come back again and again for that one-of-a-kind soup you can only get there. Right?
Well, I maybe not. Sure, there’s something to be said for the going-out-to-eat experience overall. And the not cooking thing. But, sometimes you can’t make it to a restaurant or it’s not in your budget, or your baby just barfed all over you and restaurants generally frown on bringing sick kids to restaurants.
However, it’s not completely true that you can’t enjoy a recreation of a restaurant dish in the comfort of home — and probably for about half the cost. Whole websites have been created that are solely devoted to mimicking restaurant meals, after all. So when I set out to create one of my favorites — this Zuppa Toscana Soup — I did it with determination and I did it with you in mind: You, the one who cleans up the puke, who manages the bank account, who works two jobs and just wants a delicious bowl of soup in front of them at the end of the day. And, guys, I think I kinda nailed it.
WHAT IS ZUPPA TOSCANA?
So, “zuppa” means soup in Italian. “Toscana” refers to the Tuscany region of Italy. Therefore, “Zuppa Toscana” translates to “Tuscan soup” or “Tuscan-style soup.” Traditionally, this soup is made with lots of veggies, beans, potatoes, olive oil, spices, Italian bacon, and Tuscan bread (it kind of reminds me of a minestrone).
The American version though adds Italian sausage and bacon, garlic, and heavy cream in addition to the potatoes and kale. While the American version might be a little on the heavier side, this soup eats like a meal, believe me!
IS ZUPPA TOSCANA HEALTHY?
For starters, Zuppa Toscana doesn’t have any grains or glutens in it, which is a plus if you are gluten free. It also contains a hearty helping of kale and potatoes, onions and garlic, all of which provide essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs every day. And chicken broth is good for your hair, skin, and nails and your immune system.
I admit though, that the sausage, butter, and heavy cream are not so great for you. They do provide protein and calcium, but also a lot of saturated fat. You could work around this by substituting a leaner Italian meat sausage, like chicken or turkey. You can also halve the butter and use fat free half-and-half or a plant-based cream or milk (like coconut), though this soup won’t be as thick and rich if you choose to do so, but it will still be yummy.
CAN YOU FREEZE ZUPPA TOSCANA?
Yes, you can freeze this soup if you have any leftovers, but I would eat it within two to three weeks. The kale will be browning and the potatoes might be a little off-color, but it will taste just fine. I wouldn’t leave it in the freezer for too long though, because when it warms up, the potatoes will be mushy and I just feel like this soup is meant to be enjoyed pretty close to the time you made it.
WHAT SIDE DISHES CAN YOU SERVE WITH ZUPPA TOSCANA?
To me, this soup is a meal in and of itself. However, it also goes great with the following sides:
- A nice, crusty baguette (with or without butter) for dipping right into the soup like the Italians do.
- A simple side salad works well or this Tomato Cucumber Salad rounds out the Mediterranean meal.
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus complements this dish nicely, if you want a little extra nutrition from a veggie side.
- Rolls, either homemade or the kind you find in the freezer aisle make a nice, carby accompaniment.
- Oyster crackers — my husband eats them by the half box full, no joke. For better or worse, it’s his thing!
What people are saying about this Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
“I have made this soup many times and it’s always a winner. Better homemade & a lot less expensive than ordering it at Olive Garden” – Lucile
“Just made it for the second time. I love it and My extended family LOVES it too. this time I made almost double the recipe because they are sure to ask for bowls to go. I added brown sugar bacon and the whole bunch of kale.” – Norma
“This is an awesome recipe. So delicious! I cut some of the fat by using half n half vs the full cream. I also use mild & hot sausages as my hubby doesn’t like too hot. Thanks for this posting!” – Christine
Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy Italian ground sausage, use mild for kid-friendly
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 4-5 yellow potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups chopped kale
- chopped bacon or bacon bits and grated parmesan cheese for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot saute sausage 5-6 minutes until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, add butter and saute onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are tender. Stir in kale, and heavy cream. Add sausage. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with grated parmesan cheese and/or bacon if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very good! You could probably cut down the butter to 2 TBLS – Also I only used 1 C heavy cream and it tased delicious. You definitely don’t need 2 C (IMO).
Can I decrease the heavy cream to 1&1/4 cup rather than 2 cups?
Yes, but the soup will be less creamy and rich. And the broth may appear slightly thinner because the heavy cream adds both fat and body. Unless you want a lighter version, if so then it will still taste great! You can always add more seasoning if you feel like it’s lacking flavor due to not adding all of the heavy cream. Or if you like a bit more body without as much cream, you could add a splash of milk or half-and-half to bring it up slightly.
Make sure you add the cream toward the end of cooking (after the potatoes are tender) and keep the soup from boiling vigorously after adding it, so it doesn’t curdle or separate. 🙂
Made it this morning and had it for lunch. Delectable.
I read (googled it) about massaging kale with EVOO and lemon after chopping to take out the bitterness. Used Italian sausage and spicy hot sausage. Great flavor.
It was better than OG. Thank you
Fiiirrreeeeeee
Made this many times, always perfect! Made it once with white beans, not nearly as good
I first had this at a Christmas party, and it is now one of our favorites! Really easy to make, can easily be made dairy free, and EVERYONE loves it!
Wondering if anyone has had success with dairy free option that doesn’t taste too coconut-y. Has anyone made this in crockpot/instant pot?
Other readers have commented using the slow cooker, instant pot and making it dairy free all with success 🙂
I make mine with coconut milk, and it comes out great every time. I’ve only done it with the stovetop – so I can’t help with the crockpot question.
I’ve made this recipe many times, both exactly as written and as a dairy-free version.. it turns out perfect every time! Thank you for sharing this recipe, my family absolutely loves it! (For dairy-free I used extra creamy oat milk and earth balance dairy-free/soy-free butter!)
That’s great! I’m so glad it worked out with both versions for you!
Can you use frozen kale? Or does it need to be freshly chopped kale?
Yes, you can use frozen spinach! I would thaw and drain it and then use the same amount as called for in the recipe 🙂
Hello! Could you make this in a crockpot and leave simmering for the day?
I don’t have a tested version for this recipe in the slow cooker, sorry! I’m sure it can be done though! You would need to brown the sausage first of course along with the onions, and garlic. I think it’s easier to stay on the stove top honestly but if you prefer to use a slow cooker and don’t mind the extra steps on the stove top, it can be done 🙂 as for a healthier version, you can take each ingredient and sub it for a healthier option such as turkey or chicken sausage as those options have less sodium, calories, and fat.
Absolutely wonderful! My family loves this recipe.
Tiffany I bet you could cook the sausage in a pan, and then on low put everything in the slow cooker except the bacon bits, kale, and heavy cream for 5-6 hours and then for 30 minutes more put in the last 3 items on high. I’m going to do that today and let you know how it goes.